Surrender
by XtremeGal87
Summary: After the fight above Karakura, Ichigo retrieves Orihime and takes her home. But when they're standing on her front porch they realize that neither of them is quite ready to part, despite the incredibly late hour... Rated M for a reason.
1. Chapter 1

_**A/N:**_ Hello! Welcome to my newest IchiHime fic! It is going to be rather heavy on the citrus, but who doesn't appreciate that from time to time? LOL Oh, and, there will be **spoilers** for anything up to episode 286, but anything that occurs after that I've made up (as I hadn't seen after that when I wrote this LOL), so don't say I didn't warn you! Anyway, I hope you all enjoy this, and please forgive any OOCness!

**Summary:** After the fight above Karakura Town, Ichigo returns to Hueco Mundo to retrieve Orihime and bring her home. But when they find themselves standing on her porch, they also find themselves unwilling to say even a temporary farewell, despite the incredibly late hour….

**Disclaimer:** I do not own Bleach in any way.

**Surrender**

**Silence stretched** between them even after both their feet were planted firmly upon the sturdy concrete porch in front of her apartment. There was so much that they wanted, needed, to say, and yet neither could find the words to voice their thoughts.

After the long, intense battle above the fake Karakura Town, Ichigo had waited only long enough for Captain Unohana to tend to his major wounds before leaping back into Hueco Mundo, intent on returning to his previous mission. Though he had _**saved**_ Orihime, he had yet to properly _**rescue**_ her – as, in his mind, 'rescue' implied that she was safely back home, where she belonged.

Retrieving her had been much easier than he had anticipated, as the battles seemed to have come to a close on the other side as well, and in no time he and his friends – with the exception of Rukia and Renji, who were returning to Soul Society for recuperation – were headed back to the World of the Living.

Once they were standing on the familiar streets of Karakura Town, the group endured a strangely awkward parting farewell, Ichigo so plagued with guilt over Uryuu's recent wounds that he had even apologized several times to the Quincy. Both Uryuu and Chad left in good spirits, the former vowing to forgive Ichigo in exchange for his making sure that Orihime made it home safely.

And so Ichigo Kurosaki found himself frowning into one of the most unusual silences he had ever been witness to. It was clear to him that there was _**something**_ she wanted to say, perhaps several things, but she seemed hesitant. And he found himself wondering if, after everything that had happened, perhaps…she was afraid of him now. _I certainly couldn't blame her,_ he reflected, wincing inwardly at the pain the very idea sent stabbing through his heart. _I don't even know if_** I **_trust me, so why should she?_

Ichigo was partly right; there were several things currently flitting about in her mind that Orihime Inoue desperately wanted to say. And she was afraid. But she was not afraid of the man standing beside her; she was afraid that she would say any, even all, of the thoughts running through her mind if she so much as opened her mouth. So she kept her lips tightly shut, subconsciously pulling her lower lip between her teeth.

Orihime shifted faintly, her gray eyes staring at the cold surface beneath their feet, as her arms curled themselves around her abdomen, clenching fistfuls of the fabric at her sides.

When she moved, ever so slightly, Ichigo's brown gaze immediately snapped over to her, and his frown deepened as she fisted her hands in her clothes. She looked upset, which wasn't really surprising, but it bothered him anyway. Resisting the urge to reach out to her, Ichigo's right hand tightened instead around Tensa Zangetsu's hilt, and he forced himself to break the strange, awkward silence that had formed.

"…Orihime?" he asked quietly, noting when the glaze over her eyes shattered as his voice called her back to reality.

She realized she'd gotten lost in her own mind when Ichigo quietly called her name, unspoken concern evident in his voice. Lifting her head, Orihime turned enough to face him and offered him a weak but genuine smile. "Sorry, Ichigo," she said softly. "I guess I sort of…zoned out, didn't I?"

Giving a slight shake of his head, Ichigo replied, "Don't apologize." He paused, and his frown deepened a bit more before he added, "I…don't know how to ask this, without sort of sounding like an idiot, but…what's wrong?"

Unable to hold the intensity of his gaze, Orihime lowered her eyes, and then lowered them all the way to the ground when she found herself staring at his mostly-exposed chest. Her face flushing, she murmured, "N-nothing, really…it's just…all in my head, that's all."

"_**What's**_ all in your head?" Ichigo pushed, concerned even more by her ridiculous attempt to hide whatever was bothering her. She almost never kept something like this to herself, not once he'd asked about it directly.

Pulling her bottom lip between her teeth again, albeit briefly, Orihime turned her gaze to the closed door before them. Her response was so soft that he almost missed it. "I'm just not ready to be alone again."

Guilt seared through him at her words, and he had to take a moment to form his response.

It had taken him far too long to find her, and then he'd abandoned her (with Uryuu, yes, but Uryuu hadn't exactly been fit company at the time) in order to return to the World of the Living and fight. _I had to,_ he reminded himself. But the knowledge did nothing to ease the pain of the situation.

Giving in, just a little, Ichigo stepped closer and allowed his free hand to land lightly on her half-exposed shoulder. When she returned her gaze to his, he offered her a faint smile and said, "I can stay if you'd like."

Trying to smother the hope that had flared up within her at his words, Orihime took a breath through her nose and replied, "I-I would like that, but…your family…?" She didn't want to talk him out of it, or to seem ungrateful, but she didn't want to keep him from his family longer than she already had, either. _I should just be grateful that he risked never seeing them again for me, and not be so selfish as to keep him from them any longer,_ she admonished herself.

"They don't know I'm back yet," Ichigo assured her, giving her shoulder a faint squeeze and trying valiantly to ignore the way her skin felt against his palm. "Besides, it's late; they'd all be asleep right now anyway."

Orihime said nothing for a long minute as she stared into his eyes. She saw no hesitation in his offer, and even though she knew there were a dozen reasons why she should lie and tell him she'd be just fine, she simply wasn't strong enough at that moment. So she smiled, ignoring the faint burning behind her eyes, and softly replied, "Thank you, Ichigo."

Skimming his thumb lightly over her shoulder, Ichigo reluctantly withdrew his hand and inclined his head silently. Then he tilted his head to the door, and she flushed briefly before turning and groping around for her spare key. When she finally found it she murmured a self-conscious apology and quickly unlocked the door, opening it wide and stepping through.

Ichigo followed quietly, shutting the door behind himself, before turning again to find Orihime staring at the empty, dark apartment. Her left hand was curled into a fist at her side, shaking faintly, and her other hand had wrapped itself tightly around her left elbow. Though he couldn't see her face, he was certain she was on the verge of tears – or crying already.

He was still searching for the right thing to say when her shaky voice interrupted his thoughts.

"I-I'm so sorry," she murmured, so quietly that at first, he wasn't even sure he hadn't imagined it. But then she turned around, tears streaming down her face and guilt dulling her usually vibrant eyes. "I'm so s-sorry," she repeated, just a bit louder. She was clenching her arm even tighter than before.

His own throat constricting at the sight before him, Ichigo stepped up to her, his thumb gently wiping away her tears as he said, "Orihime, stop. You have nothing to apologize for; none of that was your fault."

She dragged in a ragged breath, her bottom lip quivering, and in an instant she hurled herself into him, her arms wrapping around his torso and both hands fisting in what was left of his bankai cloak as she buried her face in his shoulder and sobbed uncontrollably. "Yes it is!" she exclaimed through her tears. "It was _**all**_ my fault!"

Ichigo felt his heart crack at her choked words. Each tear that dripped from her face and rolled down his bare chest felt like a dagger, plunging into his stomach over and over again. _Orihime,_ he thought, as his free arm came up and wrapped around her shaking form.

"Y-you all got hurt because of _**me**_," Orihime continued brokenly as he pressed her tightly up against his chest. "You _**d-d-died**_ because of me, and then…it was m-my fault that you-"

Ichigo cut her off before she could continue, leaning his head down to whisper firmly beside her ear, "Then it's thanks to you that I'm still alive."

"But," she choked, her voice quieter now, "that wouldn't have ha-happened at all if n-not for me…"

Ichigo scoffed quietly and adjusted his grip on her waist, murmuring, "He and I would have fought eventually; who's to say that wouldn't have happened anyway?"

"You don't know that," Orihime breathed, gasping for breath around her continued sobs. Subconsciously, she tightened her grasp on him, and she spoke into his chest as she choked, "I j-just wanted to pro-protect you for a change, a-and look at wha-what happened!"

_Protect…me?_ Ichigo repeated, his eyes going wide at her admission. _Is that…why she left? She thought she was protecting me – us?_ Releasing a breath, Ichigo quietly shifted so that he could lean his sword against the wall, and then he shifted again, wrapping his newly-freed arm tightly around her shoulders.

Neither spoke for a long minute as Orihime finally released the tears that had been building within her ever since Ulquiorra had ambushed her in the Dangai. She had tried so hard to restrain them, but now that she was finally home again, and her friends were safe, her emotions had come flooding to the surface.

When she could finally breathe without gasping, Orihime repeated, "I'm so sorry, Ichigo."

Ichigo shifted his hold on her, lifting his right arm from her shoulders and threading his fingers through her long, loose hair, until he was supporting the back of her head. Leaning his own head down enough to rest his cheek against her temple, his lips just barely above her ear, he whispered, "Please stop apologizing, Orihime. You didn't do anything wrong and no one, least of all me, is angry with you."

Orihime couldn't help but smile, just a bit, into his shoulder at his words. She still felt horrible about everything they'd gone through, but with Ichigo's arms wrapped so tightly around her, and his hot breath caressing her ear and the side of her neck, she also felt oddly at peace. His heart beat strong and fast beneath her ear, a steady reminder that he had – miraculously – survived.

"I'm just so glad," she finally murmured after another stretch of silence, "that you came back. I don't…I don't think I would have been okay if…." She trailed off, a couple more tears slipping free at the idea she couldn't bring herself to say out loud.

His heart constricted at her words, and Ichigo shut his eyes tightly as he fought back the sudden urge to hit something. After a moment, he released a breath and said softly, "I'll always come back to you, Orihime. I swear."

Suddenly her heart was pounding against her chest, and she was glad he couldn't see her face, because she knew it was several shades more red than was healthy. _It…it almost sounds like he…but, no. I know better than that,_ she reminded herself firmly. "Ichigo," she breathed, swallowing heavily and twisting her hands just a little more into the fabric at his back.

Ichigo shifted again, and Orihime was positive that time stood still as Ichigo's lips pressed gently against her temple, directly beside her hairpin. Before she could react, or even remember to breathe, it was over, and his lips were again beside her ear as he whispered, "Orihime, there's…there's something I need to tell you."

Praying that her voice was steadier than her suddenly-erratic heartbeat, she turned her head so that her face was angled towards him and his shoulder became her headrest as she quietly replied, "What…what is it?"

His grip suddenly loosened, and with a feather-light touch his arms slid down her back until she was only loosely encircled within their strength. He knew what he wanted to tell her, but he had no idea how to say the words. _Maybe now's not even the right time…._

Taking the hint, Orihime reluctantly released his tattered cloak and pulled her arms around to his front as she leaned back enough to look him properly in the eyes. She couldn't quite bring herself to relinquish his skin altogether, however, so she let her hands rest lightly on his chest, barely resisting the urge to let them wander. She was completely baffled by his actions, so she kept silent, too satisfied with their interaction to risk ruining the mood.

Ichigo kept quiet for a long moment, staring into Orihime's curious orbs. Her eyes were still faintly glossy with the remnants of her tears, and the longer he stared at her face, the more he found himself wanting nothing more than to take care of her – to make sure she never had to cry like that again.

"I realized something," he finally began gently, refusing to allow himself to look away, despite the overwhelming awkward potential of what he was going to say. "After you were taken to Hueco Mundo. And after everything that's happened since, I know now…. I know that there is nothing I won't do for you, Orihime, because…" he swallowed, forcing down the lump that had suddenly formed in his throat, before pushing on.

Sliding his hands to her hips and tightening his hold a little, he held her gaze as he said, "Because I love you too much to ever let you go."

Orihime couldn't believe her ears as Ichigo's words washed over her and seeped into her soul. Her eyes went wide and she couldn't breathe for several long seconds as she lost herself in the intensity of his gaze. She knew that look.

Her fingers flexed against his chest as new, different, tears burned behind her eyes and a shaky smile curved her lips. "Ichigo…" she paused as a single tear escaped, taking a breath before she added, "I love you, so much."

A rare, genuine smile lit up his face, reflected in his eyes, and he used his hands to pull her against him again. Letting his forehead rest lightly against hers, he softly admitted, "I'd really like to kiss you right now."

Giggling faintly, Orihime trailed her hands up to his shoulders, and then up to cup his jaw as she teased, "Then what are you waiting for?"

His smile shifting into a more familiar smirk, Ichigo accepted her invitation, closing the distance between them and pressing his lips to hers. Somewhere in the back of his mind he thought he heard a cry of victory, but he ignored it in favor of focusing on the new and delightful sensations of his first kiss.

Orihime melted into his kiss the moment his lips touched hers. Immediately her arms wound around his neck and shoulders, the fingers of one hand burying themselves in his spiky orange hair, and her other curving around his shoulders in a way that nearly dislodged his tattered cloak. She felt his arms tighten again around her waist, one arm curving around her opposite hip, and the other splaying over the majority of her back.

When he angled his head, his tongue slipping out to trail along the edge of her lips, seeking entrance as he aimed to deepen the kiss, Orihime willingly complied. A faint moan slipped from her lips when their tongues met, beginning a hesitant but electric dance that she could feel all the way to her toes. Their lips moved together, massaging each other even as Ichigo eagerly explored the new territory before him.

But all too soon their natural need for oxygen overpowered their insatiable hunger for each other, and they pulled apart enough to drag in ragged breaths. Orihime released her grip on his hair and let her arms curl loosely around his shoulders as she rested her head in the crook of his neck. Ichigo kept his hold tight as he caught his breath, his head still spinning from the kiss.

"How long can you stay?" Orihime asked softly after she'd regained control of her lungs.

His voice equally soft, Ichigo replied, "I can stay until morning, if you want me to."

"I'd like that," Orihime admitted honestly.

Another smile tipping his lips, Ichigo murmured, "Me, too."

They drifted, briefly, into another silence, and Orihime's face began to flush again as new thoughts made themselves known. _I must still be lightheaded from that kiss,_ she reasoned internally as she subconsciously tightened her grip on him. She was suddenly feeling rather bold and, after inhaling a lungful of his masculine scent, she was in motion.

Lifting her head just slightly, Orihime leaned up and pressed her lips to the underside of his jaw. His skin was warm beneath her lips, and she smiled faintly when she felt his pulse jump at the unexpected pressure.

Ichigo's eyes went wide when Orihime's lips made contact with his throat, but they almost immediately fell shut again as he held her close and bit back a groan. _Damn,_ he thought, _how is she _**doing**_ that?_

And then her tongue slipped past her lips, lightly trailing along his jaw as she lifted her head a little.

It was more than Ichigo could bear, and in an instant he had claimed her lips again in a hot kiss, her body flush against his. She moaned into his kiss as his hand trailed up her back until it was supporting the back of her head, and the sound was music to his ears. All he wanted in that moment was her.

Orihime couldn't focus on anything other than Ichigo, and the way her body was responding to his touch, his kiss. Liquid heat coursed through her, tingling all the way to the roots of her hair, and she couldn't help but realize how perfectly their bodies seemed to meld together. So thoroughly wrapped in his strength, Orihime felt she had finally found her own personal heaven.

Tearing his lips from hers, Ichigo angled his head so that he could trail hot kisses along her jaw and down the side of her throat. She made another sound of pleasure and tilted her head to the side to grant him access, and Ichigo was unable to suppress his own groan of appreciation as his tongue darted out to taste the skin beneath her jaw. His lips moved lower after a lingering moment, and another couple of kisses brought him up short when he came across the collar of her clothes.

_Not her clothes,_ he corrected himself as he frowned at the offensive white garment. He'd allowed himself to forget that they had only just returned from Hueco Mundo; that Orihime hadn't even been able to change into her own clothes. _Then again, I haven't even dropped my bankai…._

Her voice slightly breathless, Orihime mumbled, "Ichigo?" She was confused by the sudden end to his kisses, and she angled her head to try and see his face as she called to him.

Pulling himself back to the present, Ichigo properly lifted his head and half-grinned, his cheeks suspiciously red as he quietly said, "Sorry, I, uh, kind of-"

Orihime smiled softly and, instead of simply reassuring him that it was alright, interrupted him to ask, "Why did you stop?"

He hesitated, clearly caught off-guard by her question, before his grin vanished and his eyes returned to the collar of her tattered cape. He wasn't entirely sure how to voice his reason, so, after a moment he lifted one hand and carefully hooked his index and middle fingers in the collar, flexing his fingers for emphasis.

Flushing faintly, Orihime reflexively looked down at herself, and self-consciously mumbled, "I guess I'm kind of a mess, aren't I?"

"Tch," Ichigo chided, removing his fingers from the collar and trailing them up her throat, along the path he'd kissed earlier as he added, "that would make me one hell of a hypocrite, don't you think?"

Orihime blinked up at him for a long second, before faint laughter began bubbling up inside of her and she giggled, letting one hand trail the torn edge of his cloak as she said, "I guess we're _**both**_ a mess, huh?"

"Maybe," he relinquished, "but I have to admit, I really don't like this." As he spoke, he tugged lightly again on her collar.

With an almost imperceptible shrug, her blush brightening, Orihime replied, "You could take it off."

His own face heating immediately as his traitorous mind heartily accepted her offer, he mumbled, "I, uh, kinda meant the whole outfit…."

Smiling, Orihime curved her hands over his shoulders and leaned up to plant a brief kiss against his lips, before pulling back only enough to whisper, "So did I."

Ichigo was speechless for a long moment as he realized what, exactly, she was offering. He knew he shouldn't, but when he opened his mouth to respond, he found himself asking, "O-Orihime, are you…sure?"

Orihime swallowed as she dragged in a long breath, but her soft smile never wavered and she replied, "I've never been more sure of anything."

Taking in a deep breath to steady his racing heart, Ichigo reached up again, this time with both hands, and dipped his fingers beneath the offensive collar. Holding her gaze solidly, he gave a sharp tug and the fabric tore apart with ease. Flicking his wrists slightly, he sent the tattered piece of clothing flying and then allowed his hands to skim over her newly-exposed shoulders and collar. Her skin was incredibly smooth, and the feel of it beneath his palms scattered all rational thoughts from his mind.

Her heart raced as Ichigo's hands danced over her skin, so lightly that it was almost torture. She couldn't move as she watched his eyes darken, taking on an expression that was entirely different from any she'd seen in them before. The look on his face alone was enough to set every nerve in her body on fire, and suddenly she felt as though she were literally aching for him.

"Ichigo," she breathed as his hands settled over her slim shoulders.

Snapping, slightly, out of his trance, Ichigo locked his eyes to hers, and recognized a matching look of desire shining in her gray orbs. Swallowing thickly, he said, "If I kiss you again, I don't think I'll be able to stop."

Reaching up, Orihime gently cupped his jaw in one hand and then, suddenly, she was kissing him, the fingers of both hands lost in his hair. Her body was again flush against his and, feeling bold, she slipped her tongue past his lips.

Immediately, his arms wrapped tightly around her, and he didn't even try to suppress the almost-growl of approval as she took control of the kiss. He was painfully aware of their closeness, and he was sure she had to have noticed, but she didn't seem to be bothered by it at all.

After a long moment, Ichigo shifted his hold on her, wrapping one arm all the way around her and lifting just enough to raise her feet from the floor, as his other hand reached out and lifted Tensa Zangetsu from his resting place against the wall. Even as Orihime gave a muffled squeak at being lifted off the ground unexpectedly, Ichigo moved, quickly flash-stepping through her apartment until they stood beside her bed.

They broke apart a moment after her feet were resting again on her carpeted floor. After a moment, Ichigo silently stepped back and crouched down, gently resting his sword on the ground, near enough to the foot of the bed that they weren't liable to step on it in the dark. He stood, then, and met her gaze unabashedly. He was slightly surprised at his own forwardness, but he banished the thought as Orihime stepped up to him.

Silently, Orihime reached out and gently pushed the remains of his cloak off of his shoulder. They both watched as it fell, with a faint rustle of fabric, to the ground at their feet.

Neither said a word as Ichigo deliberately lifted one of her arms with both of his hands and gently guided the torn sleeve off. He repeated the procedure with her other sleeve as the first fluttered to the ground, and when both of her arms were bare, he took her hands in his and pressed a gentle kiss to the back of each.

Orihime gave his hands a squeeze, smiling at him when he looked back into her eyes, before she turned around and swept her hair over one shoulder.

Ichigo stared at her for a moment, still unable to believe she would so willingly offer herself to him. Shaking himself out of it, he reached out, skimming his hands up her bare arms and leaning down to press a lingering kiss on the back of her throat. She gasped softly at the unexpected contact, arching ever-so-slightly into him. Smirking against her throat, Ichigo removed his lips, and his hands finally found the zipper resting near her mid-back.

Despite his dislike for the outfit that had been given to her by Aizen and the Espada, Ichigo carefully eased the zipper down as far as it would go. He swallowed heavily, then, as Orihime turned back around, her movement loosening the now-unsecured garment just enough for it to fall, pooling at her feet. He was surprised to see the pants fall as well, as he'd assumed they were separate, but fall they did. And then she was standing before him in only her underwear, her face a fine shade of pink.

_So beautiful,_ his mind whispered as he took in the sight before him. It wasn't until her blush intensified that he realized he had been thinking out loud. He smiled softly at her as their eyes locked again, hoping to reassure her that she had nothing to be embarrassed about.

Pulling her lower lip subconsciously between her teeth, Orihime reached out slowly and let her fingers dance along his waist, over the wrapping that covered the lower part of his torso. Quietly, Orihime said, "You, um, might need to help me with this…."

His own face reddening again, Ichigo reached over and began fiddling with the knot at his waist. He so rarely ever needed to mess with it that it took him a good minute to figure it out, and then with one sharp tug (born largely of frustration), his hakama loosened and fell to the ground, much like her outfit had done after he'd unzipped it.

It was Orihime's turn to let her eyes rove over his body, which was now as exposed as her own, and she didn't even realize that her tongue had slipped out and run across her well-kissed lips until Ichigo's hands cupped the sides of her face and guided her eyes back to his.

"It's not too late to stop," Ichigo said softly, not wanting her to feel pressured into anything, let alone what they were quickly leading up to.

She smiled again and reached up to cover one of his large hands with her smaller one as she said, "I don't want to stop; not unless _**you**_ want to."

Ichigo allowed a grin to grace his lips as he leaned in and whispered, "Hell no," before capturing her lips in his once again.

Orihime splayed her hands across his chest as they kissed, letting her fingers trail over the muscles and scars as they slowly moved up, until her arms were curved tightly around his shoulders. She eagerly accepted him when his tongue slid past his lips, and she moaned into the kiss when his hands slid down her sides until they were planted at her hips.

He knew his control was just about at its limit as they kissed, their practically naked bodies pressed tightly against each other. Refusing to leave her delicious lips, Ichigo maneuvered them somehow to the bed they were standing beside, turning enough so that she would fall on top of him in order to avoid crushing her with his weight.

She squeaked and then giggled lightly against his lips, but did not break the kiss as they landed on her mattress. After another moment, her boldness returned and she shifted in his embrace, until suddenly she was straddling his stomach.

His hands slid slowly down her sides, until they were resting comfortably on her upper thighs, and Orihime ran her tongue erotically over his before pulling back from the kiss and sitting up, providing Ichigo with an up-close and well-appreciated view of her body. He couldn't stop his eyes from again skimming over her form, finding himself frighteningly turned on at the sight of her nearly-nude and straddling him.

He was about to lift his gaze back to hers when he spied something unexpected that had him raising a curious, and amused, eyebrow. As he lifted one hand to lightly trail the pattern on the hip of her panties, he asked, "Strawberries?"

Her face immediately flushed as she realized she'd been caught, and she raised one arm up to the back of her head as she laughed lightly and stuttered, "Well, you see, I was shopping and I saw them and I just couldn't help myself…heh…."

Unable to contain the admittedly cocky smirk that was suddenly spreading across his face, Ichigo traced the pattern one more time before cupping her hips with both hands and saying, "I like them; they're sexy."

Her arm falling back down until her hand had landed on his chest, her awkward smile transformed back into a comfortable, almost seductive grin, and her blush faded slightly. "You think so?"

"Mm," Ichigo rumbled, rubbing his thumb over the fabric slowly, "definitely. I'll have to be sure not to rip them later."

Orihime clearly found something amusing in his response, as a light laugh shook her body, and she flexed her nails into his chest with just the slightest amount of pressure. As Ichigo drew a shaky breath, she breathed, "Speaking of later," and leaned down, latching her lips onto his throat for a long minute.

Ichigo's head fell back against her pillow as she tormented his flesh. It was the best torture he had ever experienced, and his fingers dug subconsciously into her hips as her tongue trailed lower. He groaned deep in his throat as she began shimmering down his body, licking and kissing her way slowly.

Her fingers danced almost reverently over the scars that criss-crossed over his chest, from the wounds he had incurred when she hadn't been around to heal him. After she was done tracing them, she leaned down to place a sweet, chaste kiss over each.

He was so lost in the feeling of her fingers and lips caressing his skin that he was caught off-guard to find she had lowered herself to the point where she was now straddling his thighs. His eyes, which had drifted shut, snapped open when her slim fingers slipped beneath the hem of his only remaining piece of clothing.

And, just as suddenly, Orihime had tugged the fabric down, her face a bright shade of pink. When she had lowered it as much as she could, she bit her lip and dared to lift her eyes back to his face, to find him staring at her hungrily, that new look again darkening his eyes. Swallowing heavily (and remembering a few things from some books she had read over the years) she wrapped one hand around him carefully.

His whole body tensed the moment she grabbed hold of him, and Ichigo reflexively bit back another groan as his head collapsed back against the pillow. As her hand squeezed experimentally before slowly pulling up, Ichigo curled his fists into her sheets. _Crap, that's…so…_ he thought distractedly.

Her hand pumped over him several more times before she did something that surprised him even more. Moving her hand to cup him, she leaned down and touched her lips to him. Ichigo lurched beneath her, releasing a sound that told her she should definitely continue. So she opened her lips and wrapped them around him, sucking lightly.

As Orihime continued her delicious torment, Ichigo swore he was seeing stars. He was doing everything he could to keep from thrusting into her mouth, and he knew he wasn't entirely succeeding. His mind was practically blank as she swirled her tongue around him, and when she ever-so-lightly scraped her teeth along his length, his body convulsed and he knew he was about at his limit.

"Orihime," he managed, his voice nearly a gasp. "You…might wanna-" he cut himself off as a new feeling suddenly surged through him. It was the most intense, incredible pleasure he had felt in his entire life.

Orihime dragged her lips over him one more time, moving slow so as to draw out his orgasm as long as she could, and when she pulled back she carefully swirled the liquid around in her mouth before swallowing. She let her eyes close in order to properly focus on the full taste of him, and then she opened her eyes and smiled up at him when their gazes met again.

Ichigo's breath was slightly ragged as he came back to reality, to find Orihime smiling at him, still poised intimately over him. For a long moment they stayed that way, staring into each other's eyes.

When he felt as though he had control over his body once more, Ichigo moved, sitting up and wrapping her in his arms as he rolled over, pinning her beneath him easily. She let out a surprised squeak, which was swallowed almost immediately in a hungry kiss as Ichigo's lips claimed hers. She didn't even realize he had kicked off the restrictive clothing from around his knees until he had released her lips, to trail a hot line of kisses down her slim throat.

And then one of his large hands was kneading one of her breasts, and Orihime gasped, arching into his touch as a brand-new sensation shot through her. After a minute of gently massaging her generous breast, Ichigo rolled her nipple between thumb and forefinger, and he grinned at the moan that escaped her lips.

While his hand was taking care of that breast, Ichigo leaned down and captured the nipple of her other in a wet kiss. Another sound, different than a moan, came from the woman beneath him and he took that as a sign of encouragement. His tongue eagerly darted out and danced around her sensitive flesh, and then as he rolled the other nipple again, he allowed his teeth to lightly graze the one beneath his lips.

Orihime arched again beneath him and her hands clenched tightly to his strong shoulders as she threw her head back, moaning loudly.

A minute later, Ichigo relinquished her chest and sat up, smirking at her before bowing his head again and trailing his kisses down her flat stomach. Swirling his tongue teasingly around her naval, he let his fingers skim down her sides and hook into her panties. When his lips reached the edge of the thin fabric, he looked up, making sure to hold her gaze as he purposefully slid the underwear over her hips.

Once she was bare beneath him, he lifted himself up enough to tug the fabric entirely off of her body, tossing the material towards the floor without looking. Then he wrapped his hands around her calves and squeezed gently before running his hands up, over her knees, and along the outside of her thighs.

Carefully, he positioned himself again above her, and used his knee to gently nudge her legs apart until there was enough room for him to squeeze between them. She complied without hesitation, barely even blushing until his fingers skimmed over her most sensitive area. Watching her face intently, Ichigo rubbed first just a single knuckle against her intimate folds, and when she sucked in a breath and let her eyes close, he repeated the motion one more time.

Then, slowly, he uncurled his finger and eased it inside of her, his own body reacting as her inner walls convulsed around the unfamiliar intrusion. As his finger slid into her, she gasped out his name, her hands still holding tightly to his shoulders as the new pleasure took over her. Her mind was strangely quiet, covered in a thick, Ichigo-scented fog as she focused on what he was making her feel.

She moaned loudly when, after pumping his finger in and out of her several times, he added a second. Arching again beneath him, she couldn't stop her hips from thrusting upwards, her body instinctively trying to take him deeper.

"Ichigo, please," she begged breathlessly as his fingers continued pumping into her rhythmically.

Thoroughly enthralled with her reactions to his ministrations, Ichigo replied huskily, "Not yet, Hime." To appease her slightly, however, he increased the pace a bit, and she moaned encouragingly, her head thrown back.

After a short while of continuing this way, Ichigo withdrew his fingers, pausing long enough to carefully lick them clean as he watched her gasping for breath. Holding her gaze, he let his hands wrap around her hips and lowered himself deliberately over her, letting her heady scent wash over him before he began repeating his previous motions with his tongue instead of his fingers.

Orihime gasped again, louder than before, and reflexively bucked her hips into him as his tongue pumped into her. She could feel herself getting closer to the brink of…_**something**_, something she desperately wanted to reach. And then, as his tongue continued to pleasure her, he slipped a single finger back inside her, and curled it slightly. Her vision almost immediately went white and she cried out, her whole body convulsing around him before going completely limp.

Ichigo withdrew as she collapsed, and he couldn't contain the swell of pride at the sight of her limp, breathless, and satisfied beneath him.

After a moment, when he could see her breath was beginning to come a bit more regularly, he began slowly trailing lingering kisses back up her stomach. He detoured over her bosom, lightly running his tongue along her sensitive nipples, before continuing back up her collar and over her throat, where he suckled lightly.

The soft moan that escaped her told him that her body was waking up again, and he took his time moving toward her lips, letting the desire build up once more. When he finally found her kiss-swollen lips, she returned the kiss eagerly and wrapped her arms again around his shoulders in order to hold him in place.

Their tongues clashed, simultaneously dancing together and fighting for dominance (though the winner was never in doubt) and Ichigo quickly returned to mapping out his new favorite territory. They kissed passionately for several minutes, Ichigo bracing his weight off of her with his forearms, and Orihime's arms curled tightly around him.

When they pulled apart, gasping for breath, Orihime curled one leg around his hip as she lifted her lips to his ear and practically purred, "I need you, Ichigo."

He swallowed, her words seeming to resonate through his entire body, and he tilted his head to press his lips against her throat. Taking a breath, he poised himself properly over her and then plunged inside of her, burying himself as deeply as he could in one swift motion.

Orihime tensed around him, her body unaccustomed to his girth, and she bit back the cry of pain that had nearly slipped from her lips. Her nails dug into his shoulders as she waited for it to pass, and as it began to fade, Ichigo started pressing light, loving kisses up her cheek. It was only then that she realized a single tear had escaped.

"I'm sorry," he murmured tenderly, his lips brushing the shell of her ear.

After a moment, her body relaxed beneath him and her hold eased up as she whispered, "It's okay; I'm alright."

"Are you-?" he began, cutting himself off when her other leg wrapped itself around his hip and her legs locked together behind him.

A sexy smile curving her lips, she breathed, "Yes."

That word seemed to be all he needed, as Ichigo claimed her lips in a hot, brief kiss as he began pumping into her with as slow and controlled a pace as he could manage. Orihime met his rhythm easily, arching beneath him as his lips trailed again down her throat and taking him to the hilt inside of her.

Orihime moaned throatily as their bodies moved together and Ichigo's lips descended over one of her supple breasts. As his teeth scraped over the delicate flesh she threw her head back and dug her nails into the skin of his back. When he finished with that breast, Ichigo shifted his attentions to the other even as he began pumping faster into her.

"More," Orihime gasped breathlessly when she began to feel herself approaching that edge once again.

Ichigo grunted something unintelligible as he lifted himself from her chest and braced himself properly again. He, too, was quickly approaching that precipice, and he wanted them to go over together.

Her body began convulsing around him and he picked up the pace, leaning his head down to catch her earlobe lightly between his teeth. One of her hands slid up, into his hair, and her nails scraped his scalp as she grabbed a fistful. Her other hand clenched again against his skin and she arched beneath him, releasing a series of sounds that pushed him that much closer to the edge.

"Come with me, Hime," he grunted, his lips grazing her ear before he pressed a lingering kiss just beneath it.

Orihime opened her mouth to respond, though she wasn't sure exactly what she was going to say, when suddenly he collided with just the right spot, and pleasure that surpassed what he'd shown her earlier was shooting through her and she cried out in ecstasy.

Just as she clenched around him, he found his own release, his body exploding within her as he was wracked by an even more intense pleasure than before. He heard her call out his name as her own orgasm overtook her, an instant before his vision went white, and he barely heard his own outcry as he lost himself to the sensations rocketing through him.

They stayed locked intimately together until well after the final waves of their orgasms had rolled through them, both waiting until their breathing had at least mostly stabilized.

When he was able, Ichigo withdrew from her and rolled onto his side, curving one arm around her waist and pulling her up against him. Orihime rolled with him willingly, curling up against his chest as he slipped his other arm beneath her head, letting her use it as a pillow.

"I love you, Ichigo," Orihime murmured as she looped one of her arms around his torso, to better snuggle against him.

Tilting his head to press a gentle kiss to her forehead, Ichigo whispered, "I love you, too, Hime."

She smiled into his shoulder, feeling perfectly content wrapped up in Ichigo's arms, and let herself finally fall into an easy, peaceful sleep. There was no doubt in her mind that it would be the first night since she'd gone to Hueco Mundo that she would sleep without nightmares.

Ichigo felt his own eyes growing heavy even before Orihime had fallen asleep, and he realized sleepily that her blankets were down somewhere by their feet, but reaching for them would disturb her, and it required more energy than he really had at that moment. Knowing he'd probably wake up in the middle of the night in order to reach for them, Ichigo allowed himself to succumb to a deep, restful sleep.

* * *

**Sunlight was** streaming through the gaps between the curtains covering Orihime's window when Ichigo finally awoke, face-down with his arms shoved beneath her pillow. He recognized the weight of her comforter, resting across his mid-back, and realized that he hadn't woken up at all. _Orihime must have gotten cold,_ he figured, blinking his eyes rapidly to try and get them used to the light.

His gaze settled over the form of his lover, curled on her side and facing him, still soundly asleep. Her arms were curved beneath her head as she was too low to reach the pillow, and the comforter was just high enough to obscure the majority of her ample bosom. A small portion of her hair covered her face, and Ichigo shifted enough to reach out and lightly brush it away, letting his fingers skim over her soft, warm skin.

At his feather-light touch Orihime shifted slightly and sleepily murmured, "…Ichigo…."

He smiled faintly, not wanting to disturb her. It was then that he remembered that he had somewhere else he really needed to be, as his family still had no idea he had returned and – so far as he knew – they knew next to nothing about his sudden, unexplained disappearance. _Dammit,_ he cursed inwardly.

Taking a deep breath, he pushed himself to a sitting position before looking over at her. She was sleeping so peacefully, he really hated to disturb her. _I can let her sleep for a few more minutes, at least,_ he reasoned. His gaze lingering for a long moment, he sighed soundlessly and flash-stepped from the bed, reappearing almost immediately on the other side and crouching down to grab his hakama.

When he lifted the familiar material, he paused, inspecting it closely. When he had discarded them the night before, the edges had been tattered and shredded, and really his entire outfit had looked more like rags than clothes. But now his hakama was pristine, clean and undamaged. A quick glance confirmed his suspicions – his haori (which had reverted from his bankai cloak sometime during the night) was also as good as new.

A soft, sleepy voice broke into his thoughts, saying aloud what he had already concluded. "I fixed them last night; I didn't think you'd mind."

Turning to smile softly at her, he saw she had rolled over and was watching him with a small smile. "Thank you," he began, before allowing a faint frown to settle on his face and asking, "but why weren't you asleep?"

Her smile becoming reassuring, she replied, "I had to use the bathroom."

Kicking himself for forgetting such an obvious possibility, he shook his head faintly, his easy smile returning.

Before he could say anything, her smile dimmed slightly and she asked, "Do you have to leave now?"

Shifting, Ichigo released his clothes and leaned onto the mattress, resting his elbows on the bed and leaning forward to press a light kiss to her forehead. "I should really get home before it gets too late into the morning," he said softly.

"I understand," Orihime promised, her eyes corroborating her words, though he could just as clearly see that she still didn't want to be by herself. Reaching out with one hand, Orihime let her fingers dance over the side of his face, tangling loosely in his hair as she asked, "When do you think I'll get to see you again? Will it be before school?"

Her question reminded him that he wasn't even sure what day of the week it was, but that didn't matter, as an idea had struck him, so he said, "Actually, I have an idea about that." Pausing, he reached out and took her extended hand into his, kissing her knuckles tenderly before elaborating. "Would you like to have dinner with me and my family tonight?"

Her eyes went wide at his unexpected offer and her face lit up, but she quickly bit back her joy and asked, "Are you sure?"

"Of course," Ichigo promised, giving her hand a reassuring squeeze.

"But," Orihime hedged, knowing how much he hated bringing anyone over to his home, "are you sure tonight would be alright? I mean, what if they need more time, especially after you've been gone for so long an-"

Leaning forward, Ichigo silenced her concerned ramblings with a light kiss on her lips. Pulling away after a moment, he said, "I'm sure, Hime. My family will be thrilled to have you over."

Letting the smile return to her face, Orihime asked, "What time should I come over?"

Ichigo paused, contemplating her question, and finally said, "Maybe 5:30? Dinner won't be that early, but my family is…social, and I'm sure they'd like time to talk to you before we eat. And after."

Orihime laughed softly and nodded. "I can definitely do that."

"Good," Ichigo said softly, another small smile gracing his features. Leaning in for another light kiss, he added, "I really should get going, though. Call me if you need anything, alright?"

"Okay," she promised, before adding, "I'm sure I'll be fine, though."

"I know," he agreed, finally releasing her hand and once again turning to his clothes.

Orihime sat up, holding her comforter to her chest reflexively, and watched him dress, swallowing as another wave of desire rolled over her.

He turned back to face her as he finished tucking his haori into place. He smirked at the familiar look in her eyes and paused to approach her, pulling her into his arms and half hauling her off of the bed as he kissed her deeply. Her arms curved around his shoulders again as she let him devour her lips, his hands skimming over her bare skin.

When they pulled back, breathing heavily again, Ichigo murmured, "I'm going to introduce you as my girlfriend tonight, if that's alright with you."

"Of course it is," she whispered, curling her fingers loosely into the collar of his shirts.

They smiled silently at each other for a long moment, before Ichigo pressed a final kiss to her forehead and stepped back reluctantly. "I'll see you soon, Hime."

"Definitely," Orihime agreed as he paused to slip Zangetsu over his shoulders. She watched in silence as he crossed her bedroom to the window and slid it open, stepping one foot onto the ledge before turning and offering her a silent smile. Almost as soon as she'd returned it, he vanished, flash-stepping through and onto the opposite roof.

As a gentle breeze blew through her open window, Orihime drew a deep breath, and her smile grew. She was sore in places she'd never been sore before, and she knew she probably needed a shower desperately, but she was happy. Happier than she had been in a long time.

_**To Be Continued…**_

_**A/N:**_ Yeah, this chapter didn't get away from me _**at all**_… :P Anyway, I hope you all enjoyed it as much as I enjoyed writing it! Please drop me a review to let me know what you thought, and please read the rest!


	2. Chapter 2

_**A/N:**_ Here it is, the second chapter that demanded to be written! It was quite bizarre, really; I've never ended a story on paper (err, computer, but, you get my drift…), and yet had it continue in my head the way this one did. So, obviously, I 'surrendered' to it (cue crickets) and now my one-shot has become…well, longer than a one-shot! I hope you all enjoy this chapter! Oh, and, please forgive any OOCness, I have a sneaking suspicion it'll be running rampant this chapter….

**Disclaimer:** Still don't own Bleach….

**Surrender**

**Chapter 2**

**It turned** out they had returned on a Thursday. After Ichigo had returned home mid-morning on Friday, and after his family had tearfully embraced him and ascertained that he was, indeed, alright, he had been grounded for all of five minutes. Five minutes being the length of time it took for his father to realize that his son had just asked if his girlfriend could come over for dinner that night.

"Wait a minute," Isshin Kurosaki had said, noting the way his son was refusing to meet his gaze. Disbelief evident in his voice, he asked, "Did-did you just say you have a girlfriend?" Without waiting for Ichigo's response, Isshin had promptly turned and dashed over to the poster of his deceased wife, shouting, "Masaki! Our son finally has a girlfriend! He's finally becoming a _**man**_!"

By the time Orihime had arrived that afternoon, Ichigo's would-be punishment was nothing but a distant memory.

As it turned out, Orihime fit right in with the Kurosaki family. This realization was both minutely concerning and strangely reassuring to Ichigo as he sat beside her at the dinner table, watching her talk animatedly with Yuzu about something that had gone right over his head. Of course, in his defense, he had been partially distracted by the look of astonishment that seemed to be frozen on Karin's face. _Is it _**that**_ hard to believe?_ Ichigo grumbled internally, swallowing another mouthful of rice.

By Kurosaki standards, the dinner itself went smoothly; Ichigo and Isshin's traditional fight lasted only a couple of minutes, before both men reclaimed their seats to eat peacefully.

After dinner, Isshin and Yuzu insisted on playing a game before Orihime left. It was technically past the twins' bedtime by the time the game was over, and Ichigo bade his sisters goodnight before walking his girlfriend back to her apartment. He refrained from going inside when they reached their destination, knowing if he did it would be a couple of hours at least before he got home, so he gave her a tender kiss and promised to see her the following day.

Saturday came, and with it a message from Urahara, requesting a late-morning meeting with the teens. Excusing himself after breakfast, Ichigo promised his family he'd be back 'in a while,' before grabbing a jacket and calmly making his exit. Instead of turning in the direction of Urahara's shop, Ichigo turned in the direction of Orihime's apartment; it was early enough, she most likely hadn't left for the meeting yet.

He caught her as she stepped down from the staircase that led to her apartment and called out to her. "Hey."

Orihime looked up, startled, before smiling brightly as her boyfriend stepped up to her. "Good morning, Ichigo," she greeted sweetly.

Lifting one hand to skim his fingers along her jaw, Ichigo softly replied, "Good morning, Hime."

Her smile softening a couple of degrees, she leaned up as he began to lean down, and their lips met half-way in a sweet, long kiss of greeting. Her hands curled into the unzipped lapels of his coat loosely, and his hands descended on her hips, holding her close to him as his thumbs gently massaged the soft skin beneath the hem of her shirt.

They pulled apart after a long minute and shared a tender smile before Ichigo took a single step backwards and captured one of her hands in his larger one. "You don't mind if I walk with you, do you?"

Giggling softly, Orihime laced her fingers through his and stepped up beside him as he began walking. "Of course not, silly. As a matter of fact, I'd prefer it."

"Huh," Ichigo said, feigning surprise. "What a coincidence, so would I."

Orihime laughed softly, and the sound brought a faint smile to Ichigo's lips.

They walked in comfortable silence for a minute, and Ichigo slid a sideways glance at her, his brown eyes skimming over her ensemble, before settling on something he had somehow not seen before. There was a trace of a shadow beneath her eyes.

Frowning, Ichigo turned his gaze forward and asked casually, "How did you sleep last night?"

"Hmm? Oh, I…" her voice trailed off, increasing his suspicions, before he noticed her shrug nonchalantly, and she said, "I didn't sleep so great, but it's just because I kept having nightmares. I'm sure I'll sleep better tonight; and I really don't feel too tired or anything."

_Nightmares,_ he repeated silently. _Thought so._ "I'm sorry," he said softly, giving her hand a squeeze as he added, "I hope you're right, but, if you find you can't sleep again tonight, you can always call. Sometimes it helps to talk about it a little."

Orihime looked at him as they walked, warmth spreading through her at his concerned words. With a gentle smile she replied, "It's alright; it's really only natural, after everything that happened…besides, I'd feel horrible for waking you up in the middle of the night!"

Ichigo paused, causing her to come to a stop as well, and lifted her hand to his lips so that he could press a light kiss to her knuckles. Meeting her wide gray eyes over their joined hands, he said firmly, "I understand that, but I want you to call anyway if you need to, alright? You're not in this alone, and I don't want you to ever feel like you are."

"Ichigo," she breathed, a thin film of tears pooling behind her eyes. She swallowed, forcing them back, and nodded faintly as she said, "Okay, I promise I will."

He returned her soft smile and resumed walking, saying, "Good. But now we'd better hurry, or we'll be late to this stupid meeting."

* * *

**Ichigo followed** Orihime into the gathering room, not at all surprised to see that Uryuu and Chad were already seated at the large round table across from Kisuke Urahara and Yoruichi Shihouin.

"Well, it looks like the gang's all here now," Urahara declared as Ichigo slid the door shut behind them.

"Good morning, everyone!" Orihime greeted with a cheery smile as she moved to sit beside Chad.

"Good morning, Orihime," Uryuu greeted with a kind smile as Chad inclined his head.

Ichigo took his seat between Orihime and Uryuu, directly across from Urahara, and his trademark scowl settled back onto his face as he asked, "So what's up with this last-minute meeting, anyway?"

"Well," Urahara began, his head bowed just enough to keep his eyes in the shadow of his favorite hat, "I thought it would be good to make sure we're all on the same page about this war while it's still fresh in our memories. I know one day isn't enough of a rest after a fight like that, but we can't afford to take too much time on these things."

"It was my understanding that there really isn't much any of us can do, other than rest and prepare for the next fight," Uryuu commented, subconsciously pushing his glasses back up his nose as he spoke.

"Technically, yes," Urahara agreed with a faint incline of his head. "But now that the dust has settled, we should be sure to compare notes, if you will."

"What's to compare?" Ichigo asked pointedly. "Aizen and Ichimaru got away, and who the hell knows what those bastards are planning next."

"One thing is certain," Yoruichi said somberly, "They won't make a move until they're able to get more power behind them again, and now that they have a better idea of our power, they'll be that much harder to defeat."

"So we keep training, and we get stronger," Ichigo stated plainly. "We've already taken down all of his Espada, there's no way they could get that kind of power behind them again before we find them."

Urahara frowned. "You make a strong argument, Ichigo, but the harsh truth is that we simply can't afford to make that assumption at this point."

"What do you mean?" Uryuu asked.

"It's entirely possible that Aizen was prepared for the possibility of defeat, or at least the loss of his Espada," Urahara explained. "For all we know, he has an entire second set of Espada at his command that we simply haven't met yet."

"I don't think so," Orihime interrupted softly, her eyes downcast as she fisted handfuls of her long skirt.

Everyone looked over at her when she spoke, and she continued quietly. "I'm not saying he might not have some sort of back-up plan. I just really don't think he has any more Espada."

"Orihime," Urahara began hesitantly, waiting until the girl had lifted her head and met his gaze before he continued. "Is there anything you saw, or overheard, during your capture that might be relevant to us now?"

Ichigo bit his tongue at Urahara's question. He understood, intellectually, why it had to be asked, but the protective side of him hated asking her to relive that time of her life, especially when he knew her pain was still fresh.

To her credit, Orihime barely flinched at the question, and slowly shook her head as she forced her mind back over the events she'd witnessed in Hueco Mundo. "No, not really. I mean, at one point Aizen showed me where he kept the Hougyoku, but I'm sure he's moved it by now."

Urahara frowned thoughtfully, saying, "I'm sure you're right about that." He paused, his gaze flickering to Ichigo before returning to Orihime and pressing, "And you're absolutely positive you didn't discover anything else we could use?"

"She already answered that question, dammit," Ichigo snapped, managing to keep his voice level, though the anger seeped into his tone. All eyes turned to him then, but he kept his glare on Urahara. "If Orihime knew something we didn't, she'd have told us by now. We were all there, none of us learned anything like that; the whole damn place was one fight after another."

"I understand that was your experience," Urahara began calmly, "but Orihime's experience would have been a bit different, don't you think?"

Ichigo's fist curled tightly on the table as he grit his teeth, telling himself not to yell. Before he could actually respond to the rhetorical question, Orihime spoke up again, her voice still quiet, but reassuringly stable.

"It was, slightly," she said, smiling in silent gratitude at Ichigo before returning her attention to Urahara. "But mostly I learned about the Arrancars. I almost never saw Aizen or the other two, and they kept me locked up, except for when Aizen wanted to talk to me."

Everyone was quiet as she spoke, not knowing what to say. Ichigo wished they could change the subject, and Orihime took a deep breath.

"I could help," she continued, her gaze dropping as her voice began to crack. "I could help, if it was still important to find Aizen's quarters; that was where he kept it." She paused as tears began rolling down her cheeks, sniffling before she added, "And I could help if we could find the Hougyoku; I'm absolutely certain that I can use my Souten Kisshun to get rid of it. But…" she trailed off, choking on her words.

Ichigo had seen enough, and he knew Orihime had talked about it more than she wanted to. Silently, he reached over and dropped his hand on her shoulder, giving it a comforting squeeze.

She looked up at him, using one hand to wipe the tears off of her cheeks, and offered him a weak, grateful smile.

"It's alright, Orihime," he assured her gently. "Right now, there's nothing _**any**_ of us can do; you don't need to feel bad."

The others watched the exchange between Ichigo and Orihime quietly, noting the gentleness both in Ichigo's words and in his expression. No one said anything, watching as they shared small, brief smiles and Ichigo squeezed her shoulder again before removing his hand and returning it to his lap.

The conversation resumed after a minute, though Urahara backed off on questioning Orihime, and the group spent over an hour discussing things that had happened and the possibilities of what was yet to come.

When the meeting was over, the group migrated to the front of the shop before bidding a temporary farewell to Kisuke and Yoruichi as they made their exit. They gathered together in front of the shop, then, and stood in silence for several seconds.

"So…now what do we do?" Chad asked, breaking the silence.

"I'm not really sure," Ichigo admitted, shoving his hands into his jeans pockets. "I guess we just wait, and keep training."

"That's about all we can do," Uryuu pointed out quietly.

"It just seems wrong," Orihime declared, reflexively wrapping one arm around herself as she frowned. "How can we have gone through all that, to be right back where we were before?"

The three looked over at her as she spoke, and Uryuu said, "I know what you mean, Orihime. But we're not exactly back where we were. We defeated Aizen's army, and we even managed to take down one of the traitors. It may not seem like much right at this moment, but we have made progress."

Orihime took a deep breath and looked up at her friends with a smile. "Oh, I know all that, and you're absolutely right! I just…wish it were all over already, that's all."

"We all do," Ichigo agreed softly, his eyes smiling at her when their gazes met again.

Her gloom vanishing, Orihime raised her fists determinedly and declared, "Alright, no more depressing talk today! We should go do something fun!" With barely a pause, her index finger popped up, pointing at the sky and she added, "Oh, I bet that new donut shop is finally open! That's definitely a good place to start!"

As Chad bowed his head, trying not to laugh at her exuberance, Uryuu smiled with silent amusement and Ichigo chuckled faintly.

"I'm sure their donuts are delicious," Uryuu began, "but I'm afraid I'm not really in the mood for sweets right now. I think I'll go home and get a little more rest."

"Aw," Orihime pouted, her arms falling back to her sides.

"Don't worry about him; Uryuu's a wet blanket, anyway," Ichigo said, earning a simultaneous giggle from his girlfriend and glare from the Quincy. Ignoring the latter, he added, "I'll come with you."

Smiling brightly, Orihime turned her attention to Chad, who shook his head. "I don't care much for donuts," he admitted. "But you guys have fun."

"Oh, well we cou-" Orihime began, only to cut herself off as Ichigo's hand suddenly wrapped around hers.

"Alright," Ichigo said as he grabbed Orihime's hand in a sudden burst of possessiveness, "I guess we'll see you guys later, then. Take it easy."

Orihime stared at him as he spoke. They hadn't really talked about how to act in front of their friends, but she had expected that – at least for a little while – he would want to maintain a semblance of secrecy about their relationship. Ichigo certainly wasn't the kind of guy who liked to broadcast details about his personal life.

Before she could dwell any longer on his unexpected, but wholly welcome, actions, Ichigo turned his attention back to her then and asked, "Are you ready to go, Hime?"

Her eyes sparkling, she smiled and nodded, saying, "Yes!"

Ichigo nodded to their friends, who were both staring with slightly widened eyes, and turned, leading Orihime in the general direction of the new donut shop.

As she walked, Orihime turned to look back at their friends and added, "See you later!"

* * *

**Orihime decided** that she was thoroughly confused as they rounded the corner and put Urahara's shop – and their friends – out of sight behind them. There was no way Uryuu or Chad would brush off Ichigo holding her hand (let alone calling her by her newly-established nickname) as nothing noteworthy, especially since he had been the one to initiate it. _Not to mention,_ she realized, _we have school on Monday (which is going to be weird), and how am I supposed to act? I thought he'd want to pretend our relationship hadn't changed, but I never asked, and now I don't know!_

"You're gonna hurt yourself if you keep doing that," Ichigo scolded softly as they walked, pulling her out of her thoughts.

Orihime blinked rapidly for a moment, realizing she had gotten lost in her thoughts, and turned her head to look up at him. "Hmm?"

Chuckling faintly, Ichigo stopped walking and turned to face her, pulling his free hand from his pocket and bringing it up to trace his thumb lightly over her lower lip. "You were chewing your lip again. Wanna tell me what's on your mind?"

"Oh, well, I was just wondering…" she paused, not sure of how best to voice her curiosity, before finally blurting, "What are we telling people about us? I mean, I had just kind of assumed that you wouldn't want everyone knowing right away, but now I'm not sure, and I don't want to assume wrong – especially not at school – and I certainly don't want to make you uncomfortable or anything, I'm just not sure what to do!"

Ichigo's eyes widened briefly at her rambling, before another faint chuckle rumbled up from his chest and he tilted her chin up slightly, leaning in for a brief kiss.

When he pulled back, he said, "I honestly hadn't given it a lot of thought until this morning. And, yeah, my first instinct was to try and keep it quiet somehow, especially from Keigo, but the truth is…if we do that, then I have to keep a distance from you pretty much every day. And it might be selfish, but I don't really want other people's reactions to be a factor in whether or not I put my arm around you when I'm sitting next to you."

"So, if I want to give you a good morning kiss on Monday, that's okay?" Orihime asked slowly.

He grinned at her question and said, "Absolutely. But seeing as how I intend to walk you to school from now on, that might not be the best example."

Orihime's eyes widened at his words and she quickly said, "You don't have to do that!"

"I know," Ichigo assured her, dropping a light kiss on the tip of her nose before he added, "but I want to. Is that okay?"

Smiling again, Orihime replied, "Very much so."

Ichigo leaned in, his lips curved up at her words, and captured her lips in a sweet kiss. Their tongues danced briefly as Ichigo's hands skimmed up her arms before cupping her face tenderly. He pulled away after a minute, simply staring into her eyes and relishing what he saw.

When they stepped apart, slightly, Ichigo looped one arm around her waist as he turned once again in the direction of the donut shop. "Come on; let's go see if that shop really is open yet."

* * *

**Ichigo and** Orihime managed to snag a few donuts and escape unscathed from the donut-hungry crowd at the newly-opened shop, before going to the park to eat their lunch together. Then Orihime remembered that she desperately needed to replenish the stock of food in her refrigerator (much of her food had spoiled in the time she'd been gone), Ichigo insisted on accompanying her, and before they knew it, the remainder of their Saturday had passed them by.

Though he spent almost an hour up in his room on Sunday, talking to Orihime on his cell phone (with the door locked and Kon's soul-pill stuck in a desk drawer), Ichigo stayed home for the day; mostly for his sisters' sake.

But he made sure to wake up bright and early Monday morning, so that he could be ready a little earlier than usual. He descended the stairs as he finished buttoning his school shirt, leaving – as he always did – the top and collar buttons undone. After a brief scuffle with his father, who had been caught off-guard to see his son already fully dressed so early in the morning, Ichigo sat down to eat a quick breakfast before grabbing his school bag and heading out the door.

He made it to Orihime's apartment almost exactly when he'd promised he would, and Orihime ushered him inside, apologizing profusely because she had overslept and was running behind.

"I promise I won't be more than a few minutes longer!" Orihime assured him as she disappeared into her bathroom to brush her hair.

"That's fine," Ichigo called, settling himself on her couch to wait. With nothing to do, his eyes wandered around the apartment. It looked like she'd done a lot of cleaning (mostly dusting) the day before, as she'd mentioned she probably would. And as his eyes drifted to her bedroom, memories of the last – and only – time he'd been in that room rushed back to him, and he swallowed heavily.

From his position, he could see fairly well into the room, and her bed looked as though it had only been half-made; the comforter was pulled up, but it was still rumpled from use. He idly wondered if the bed was still warm and then quickly yanked his attention elsewhere, as he could already feel his body waking up at the thoughts that were beginning to flit through his head. _Ah, crap,_ he cursed himself, rolling his eyes up to the ceiling and clenching his fists. _And here I used to think I wasn't just some damned pervert._

"I'm ready!" Orihime suddenly declared as she practically bounced back into the living room. She drew up short when she saw his tense position, and concern settled over her as she asked, "Ichigo?"

Her boyfriend lifted his head and relaxed his fists, offering her a faint smile. "It's nothing, Hime." He paused and stood, picking his bag up off the floor, where it had been resting beside his feet, before adding, "We should get going."

Orihime nodded and followed him to the entryway, where they both slipped their shoes on, before she finally asked, "Are you alright? You looked bothered…."

Ichigo heaved a mental sigh as they stepped onto her porch, and watched her turn to lock her door. He didn't really want to have to explain his thought process, but at the same time he refused to lie about something so ridiculous. "It's just, uh, my mind was, sort of…running away without my permission, that's all."

Finished locking her door, Orihime dropped the key into her pocket and looked up at him, raising an eyebrow as she asked, "Did it run away somewhere fun?"

He choked on a half-laugh at her question and grinned at her, letting his gaze linger on her shimmering lips. As he found himself wondering what her lip gloss tasted like, he murmured, "Yeah, it did."

Her cheeks flushed faintly as she realized what he was saying and she chewed on her lips for a moment before saying softly, "That _**is**_ kind of a distracting thought, you know, so it's perfectly understa-!"

Ichigo's lips descended over hers before she could finish her statement, the temptation of her lips simply too strong so early in the morning. He let his school bag fall to the ground at his feet and wrapped both arms around her waist tightly as his tongue plunged past her strawberry-flavored lips, eager to reacquaint itself with hers.

Orihime moaned softly into the kiss, her own bag landing, forgotten, on the ground as she curved her arms around his shoulders and tilted her head, allowing him to deepen the kiss. Her whole body tingled as his lips massaged hers, coming alive at his hungry touch.

He pulled back when the now-familiar burning began in his lungs, briefly resting his head in the crook of her neck in order to inhale her scent. When he lifted his head a moment later, he slid his hands to her hips, giving them a loving squeeze before releasing her entirely and bending to retrieve their school bags. "I'm gonna make us both late if you let me do that again," he declared, not joking nearly as much as he should have been.

With a soft laugh, Orihime turned to lead the way down the stairs and said, "Why would I ever _**stop**_ you?"

His grin apparent in his voice, Ichigo replied, "For the sake of your reputation?"

Orihime released a dramatic scoff and declared, "My reputation needs to be modified, anyway." Turning around to walk backwards when they reached the ground, she clasped her hands behind her and added, "I would much rather be 'Ichigo Kurosaki's girlfriend' than whatever I was before!"

Chest rumbling with laughter, Ichigo smirked and said, "I have to admit, that does have a certain ring to it. But you know, not everyone has such a high opinion of me."

"Well, those people are just sadly uneducated," Orihime said matter-of-factly, before her heel caught on a raised crack in the sidewalk and she stumbled backwards.

Ichigo's hand wrapped firmly around her wrist even as she managed to catch herself with her other foot, and he said, "Hime, please walk forward from now on, you're gonna give me a heart attack."

Orihime laughed and turned around when he released her, so that she was walking beside him properly. A heartbeat later she realized that she didn't have her school bag and sucked in a breath. "Oh no!"

Immediately concerned, Ichigo frowned and asked, "What is it?"

"I forgot my school bag! I could've sworn I brought it out!" She was about to spin around, and tell him to continue on without her, when suddenly he was holding his arm out in front of her. Hanging innocently from his hand were two school bags – one was his, and the other was hers.

"I picked it up after I kissed you," Ichigo said with a faint laugh behind his voice.

Her face reddening, Orihime reached out for hers and said, "Heh, I really should pay more attention…thank you, Ichigo!"

Ichigo snatched his hand away before she could grab her bag and once again slung them over his shoulder with ease. "Don't mention it."

"Wha – hey! Ichigo, you don't have to carry both of them!" Orihime cried, looking back up at him and frowning dramatically.

Smirking again, Ichigo managed to resist the urge to lean in for another kiss and instead said, "Yeah. What's your point?"

Attempting to look serious, despite the laughter bubbling up inside of her, Orihime said, "I could carry it."

With a half-shrug, he replied, "And I'll let you. At lunch."

Orihime sighed in defeat as they rounded the final corner between them and their school, saying, "Well, I suppose there's no sense in arguing with you."

"Nope," he replied confidently, still grinning.

They both automatically slowed their pace as they approached the gates of the school, and her earlier humor was gone from her voice when Orihime softly said, "This is going to be weird, isn't it?"

Serious and scowling once again, Ichigo replied, "Yeah, probably. I haven't even talked to Keigo or Mizuiro since we got back."

"I called Tatsuki yesterday," she said after a moment. "We didn't talk long, though; she seemed kind of…freaked out, I guess. Like she had some sort of idea about what had happened."

"She knew you'd gone missing," Ichigo admitted, remembering the last time he'd seen Tatsuki and the others. Looking back, he realized he could probably have handled that situation better.

Orihime looked up at him, surprised at his admission. She kept quiet when she saw his face, knowing that more was coming.

"She confronted me about it," he continued as they neared the main building. "I didn't tell her the truth; I figured she'd just get more upset if she knew what I knew." Dragging in a breath, he smiled bitterly and added, "She's probably gonna be pissed when she sees me."

A new wave of guilt washing over her, Orihime's gaze dropped to the ground and her feet stopped moving. "I'm sorry," she whispered. "I never dreamt I'd make things difficult between you and Tatsuki."

Ichigo stopped when she did, and frowned at her words and the look of guilt that had contorted her face. Stepping up to her, he pulled his free hand from his pocket and used his index finger to tilt her chin up, encouraging her to meet his gaze. He spoke firmly when their eyes met, saying, "You don't need to apologize, Hime. Tatsuki and I'll work it out, don't worry."

She swallowed and smiled appreciatively at him. A single tear slipped free, which she quickly wiped away with the back of her hand, and she said, "I know you will. And hopefully I'll be able to talk to Tatsuki and calm her down a little."

"That would be good," Ichigo replied with the faintest of chuckles, stepping back from her and dropping his hand.

Together they turned and continued walking, quietly ascending the wide staircase until they reached the floor that their classroom was on. They caught up with Chad and Uryuu in the hall, who both paused and greeted their friends before the four of them continued on, each dreading the lecture they would surely receive from their teacher.

When they reached the room, Chad slid the door open and stepped in, followed by Uryuu, who calmly mumbled a 'thank you' and headed for his seat. The classroom grew quiet as Orihime followed Uryuu into the room, with Ichigo directly behind her, both their school bags still slung over his shoulder. Chad silently shut the door after Ichigo stepped through, before making his way to his seat.

For a long moment, their footsteps were the only sounds in the room as they made their way to their respective seats. All eyes watched as they moved, Uryuu the first to take his seat, effectively putting his back to the room.

As Ichigo and Orihime turned, almost in synch, up their respective rows, Keigo finally broke the extended silence. Lurching up from his seat, Keigo loudly exclaimed, "_**Iiichigoooo!**_ Where the heck have you been, buddy?"

Reminding himself that he'd been unnecessarily rude to his friends when he'd seen them last, Ichigo looked over at his sometimes-obnoxious friend as Keigo made his way over to him and said, "Hey, Keigo."

"That's _**it**_? That's all I get, after you've been gone for so long?" Keigo cried, coming up short and pouting dramatically. "How can you be so cruel?"

"_**My precious Orihime!**_" Chizuru cried, darting around rows of desks and racing toward Orihime. "I've been so worried about you!"

Her hands were coming dangerously close to Orihime's chest, and Ichigo clenched his fist around the straps of their school bags, telling himself not to overreact. He needn't have worried, as just when Chizuru's hands were in striking distance, Tatsuki's fist came flying out of nowhere and collided with her face, sending her flying to the side.

"Give her a little breathing room, you pervert!" Tatsuki yelled, holding her fist up threateningly.

Orihime laughed nervously, saying, "Hey, good morning, Chizuru! Good morning, Tatsuki!"

Stopping beside her desk, Ichigo slid the bags around and calmly set Orihime's down on top of her desk. Unfortunately, not all eyes in the room were trained on the commotion caused by Chizuru and Tatsuki, as Keigo seemed to have noticed Ichigo's actions.

Incredulous and amazed, Keigo exclaimed, "Wait a minute! Ichigo, why were you carrying Orihime's school bag?"

All eyes returned to Ichigo even as he straightened, slinging his own bag back over his shoulder.

Orihime turned as well, smiling despite the heat that was suddenly building up on her face. "Thank you, Ichigo," she said softly as she stepped up beside her desk.

"Hey, are you gonna answer me or not?" Keigo pressed, coming up behind Ichigo as if being closer increased his chances of receiving an answer.

"You might want to do it quickly, Ichigo," Mizuiro said suddenly, moving away from the front of the room and slipping his phone into his pocket. "The teacher's coming."

"Ichi-!" Keigo began, shutting up when his face collided with Ichigo's fist.

Eyes closed, Ichigo let his fist drop to his side as he asked, "What answer would be the 'worst-case scenario' for you, Keigo?"

Rubbing his nose with the back of his hand, Keigo replied, "Obviously that would be that Orihime was your girlfriend, and therefore completely unavailable…why?"

Smirking as he opened his eyes, Ichigo slipped his hand back in his pocket and turned to continue to his seat, saying, "That's what I thought."

Keigo's mouth fell open at his friend's response. And, for once in his life, Keigo wasn't the only one suddenly staring dumbfounded at Ichigo, as the entire class slowly processed what Ichigo had heavily implied.

Before anyone – even Tatsuki – could formulate a reply, their teacher walked in, calling the class to order without really looking around. She dropped her books on the large front desk and turned to face her students, her eyes immediately falling on a familiar orange head that had been absent for a very long time. A quick glance around told her that the other three, who had also been absent, were back as well.

"Well now," she said, planting her hands on her hips. "How very fortunate we all must be, to finally be worthy of your presence. Kurosaki, Sado, Ishida, Inoue, step into the hall with me, please. The rest of you, take out your books and start reading."

_**To Be Concluded**_

_**A/N:**_ I had so many directions I really wanted to go in, if you can't tell, that I ended up doing my best to throw as many of them as possible into this chapter…hopefully it worked out alright! Please let me know! And, yes, there's only one more to go, so please stay tuned! LOL


	3. Chapter 3

_**A/N:**_ Alright, here it is! The _**true**_ final installment of this story! Don't get me wrong, I really have enjoyed writing this, it's just been an interesting experience waiting to find out how it would end! LOL Anyway, enough of my rambling; I hope this epilogue lives up to your expectations, please enjoy! (And yes, there is a little OOCness, it's kinda unavoidable given their increased age and the situation, please forgive me!)

**Disclaimer:** I still don't own Bleach…

**Surrender**

**Epilogue – Four Years Later**

**Orihime's head** fell back against her pillow as Ichigo's lips moved across her throat, alternating between light butterfly kisses and hard, almost bruising, kisses. Another moan escaped her lips as he sucked at the nape of her neck, and she tangled her manicured fist in his orange hair. "Ichigo," she gasped, trying desperately to retain coherent thought while his callused fingers teased one of her breasts expertly.

Rolling her hardened nipple between thumb and forefinger, Ichigo smirked against her slender throat as she arched beneath him, sucking in a ragged breath. One of her slender legs looped up, curving over his hip, and he released her breast in order to trail his hand slowly down her flat stomach. She moaned again when he found what he was looking for, and he let his fingers skim over her slick entrance as he trailed his lips up once more. He caught her lips in a hungry, heated kiss even as his hand altered course and trailed across her hip, holding her lifted leg in place.

A fleeting moment of sanity returning, Orihime tore her lips from his as his hand settled over her hip and gasped, "We're going to…be late-!"

Nibbling teasingly on the skin beneath her ear, Ichigo rumbled, "I'd much rather be here anyway."

The hand clinging to his back curled, holding him tighter as her nails dug slightly into his skin, and Orihime managed, "B-but…dinner…?"

Ichigo stilled completely above her, his member barely a hair's breadth from her entrance, and pulled back enough to look into her hooded gray eyes. Arching an orange eyebrow, he asked, "Do you want me to stop?"

An embarrassed flush stained her cheeks and Orihime pulled her lower lip between her teeth as she gave a quick shake of her head. "No," she admitted.

He smirked, leaning down to press a kiss to the tip of her nose, before growling, "Then fuck dinner."

Her understanding laughter was caught by his hungry lips as his tongue dove into her mouth to dance with hers. She moaned into the kiss and tightened the leg that was still curled around him encouragingly.

Ichigo required no further invitation, plunging himself into her core swiftly and groaning against her lips at the familiar, pleasurable sensations that immediately coursed through him. Her nails dug into his skin again and he dragged his lips from hers in order to once again ravish her delicious throat.

His name fell from her lips in a breathless gasp as he moved against her, her hips lifting to match his increasing rhythm instinctively. Her other leg lifted up, wrapping around his hip, and the shift in the angle enabled her to take him deeper, causing her to moan loudly.

He grunted something with his head half-buried in her loose hair and thrust harder, the tension within him building up quickly. Her body was arching beneath him responsively, the sounds coming out of her mouth driving him mad, and he subconsciously tightened his hold on her hip as he pumped in and out of her.

His lips found her heated skin again and he resumed trailing kisses across her shoulder and collar. She gasped his name again and he knew, as much from her voice as from the tension in his own body, that she was close to the edge.

Picking up speed, he thrust into her again and again, and he wrapped his lips over a sensitive spot on her shoulder, biting the skin just enough to leave a mark. He ran his tongue over the wound, soothing the skin, as the hand that wasn't attached to her hip lifted to massage one of her breasts.

Suddenly Orihime was tugging on his hair and neck with both hands, gasping and arching beneath him, and he lifted his lips from her collar, knowing exactly what she wanted. Their lips met in a heated frenzy as she curled both arms around his neck, and he braced himself properly as he moved in and out of her.

Her lips tore from his as her body convulsed around him and she screamed out his name in ecstasy, clinging to him like a lifeline.

Her release was all he needed to fall over the edge, and he thrust into her one final time, his own body shaking with the force of his orgasm as he grunted her name into her hair.

After taking a minute to recover, Ichigo withdrew from her and rolled over, pulling her with him as he always did. Orihime snuggled into him without a moment's hesitation, and he angled his head to press a sweet kiss to her temple.

Orihime smiled into his shoulder, her fingertips dancing lightly over his solid muscle, and she murmured sweetly, "Happy anniversary, Ichigo."

Ichigo pulled her closer, somehow, and lowered his lips to her ear before murmuring, "Happy anniversary, Hime. I'm sorry I made us miss our reservation; I promise I'll make it up to you."

Giggling against him, Orihime said, "You'd have stopped if I asked, Ichi."

"True," Ichigo relented, a teasing smirk curving his lips as one hand lazily trailed over her side. "You know, now that I think about it, it was really all your fault, anyway."

Orihime gasped, feigning offense, and playfully shoved at his chest. "It was not!"

"Sure it was," Ichigo insisted, rolling all the way onto his back and subsequently dragging her half on top of him. Grinning at her, he added, "You should've known I'd never let you leave the house in that dress."

A satisfied smile curving her lips, she replied, "I was hoping you'd like it."

"Tch," he grunted, hauling her up so that he could kiss her properly as he buried his hands in her long hair. When their lips parted, he said, "I'm not _**dead**_, Hime."

Orihime opened her mouth to respond, but suddenly Ichigo was kissing her again. She melted into the kiss, her body tingling as his tongue danced with hers and his hands skimmed over her bare skin.

He pulled away after a long minute and, voice thick, asked, "Can you wait here for a minute?"

Slightly confused, Orihime pouted faintly at having to move already, and asked, "Why do you have to move?"

Smiling reassuringly, Ichigo pulled her in for a short, tender kiss before saying, "It's a surprise; but I'll only be a minute."

Her curiosity growing, she nodded. "Alright, if you promise."

Rolling her over once again, Ichigo pressed a kiss to her forehead and whispered, "I promise," before promptly pulling back from her.

She watched in silent curiosity as he rolled to his feet and padded quietly across the room, finally crouching down beside his haphazardly discarded trousers. She couldn't help but lick her lips at the fantastic view of his toned backside, her eyes travelling up to the muscles that rippled across his back as he dug through the pockets.

Ichigo easily found what he was searching for, and he ran his thumb over the crushed velvet of the box for the hundredth time that day. He swallowed heavily, ignoring the snickering voice in the back of his head that was thoroughly enjoying his nervousness. _Here goes nothing, I guess,_ he thought fleetingly as he pushed himself back to his feet.

When he turned back around, he took a moment to absorb the sight before him. His princess was lying, propped up by one elbow on her side, watching him with a mixture of emotions dancing across her expressive (and deceptively innocent) gray eyes. Their comforter was pooled around the foot of the bed, leaving her completely exposed to his piercing gaze.

He moved back to the bed, keeping the box hidden in his hand, and lowered himself onto the mattress beside her. She sat up as he reached out with his free hand to lightly brush her bangs from her face, and she stayed silent as he leaned in and captured her lips in a light kiss, before letting his hand trail down her arm until he had her hand caught in his.

Their eyes met again, and Ichigo took a silent breath. He hadn't expected to be nearly as nervous as he was, but he forced himself to push past it. Squeezing her hand, he launched in to the speech he had rehearsed in his head for the better part of a week.

"I love you, Orihime," he began, keeping their gazes locked. "You are the single most important person in my life, and I know I've said this before, but I would do anything to keep you safe; to keep you with me. And I know four years sounds like a long time to a lot of people, but, the truth is, I don't think I could ever have enough time with you."

He paused, as much to take a breath and calm his nerves as to bring up his other hand and snap open the lid of the box before continuing. With the introduction of an unexpected object, Orihime's gaze flickered to his hand, and her expressive eyes widened as she caught sight of the diamond ring within the small box. She swallowed noticeably and her eyes snapped back to his, but she managed to wait for him to continue.

"This isn't how I'd originally planned to ask you this," he admitted sheepishly, knowing full well it was his own fault that his plan had failed. "But that doesn't change the question. Orihime Inoue, will you…will you marry me?"

Tears were instantly pooling in her eyes and her smile was shaky but genuine as she said, "Yes, of course, Ichigo." She paused, one tear escaping, and pulled her hand from his to throw her arms around his neck. "Yes, yes!" she exclaimed happily.

His nerves vanished at her enthusiastic, and heartfelt, reaction, and he wrapped his arms around her, careful not to drop the box that still held the ring.

"I love you, Ichigo," she breathed beside his ear.

Ichigo smiled into her hair, lightly kissing the exposed skin beneath her ear, before teasingly asking, "Do you want the ring, Hime?"

"Oh! Yes!" Orihime assured him, releasing him and pulling back quickly, her face faintly flushed. "Eh hehe, I guess I got distracted."

Smiling lovingly at her, Ichigo lifted his free hand and trailed his thumb across her jaw before reassuring her, "It's alright."

Then he lifted the box and carefully pulled the ring from within as she held out her left hand expectantly. He slid the ring easily into place, his heart hammering against his ribcage.

"It's so beautiful," Orihime breathed, angling her hand so that she could get a good look at the simple elegance of the diamond. Looking back up at her boyfriend – now her fiancé – she smiled and said, "I love it."

An unfamiliar burning began behind his eyes and Ichigo forced the offensive liquid back, smiling softly at Orihime and whispering, "It…it was my mother's."

He paused, to swallow, and Orihime drew a silent breath, looking back at the ring she now wore.

"I know she would want you to have it," he continued, reaching out to take her hand in his.

Another single tear slid down Orihime's smooth cheek and she looked back up at him, a loving and understanding smile curving her lips. "Oh, Ichigo…thank you. I'll treasure it," she added, gently pulling her hand from his and reaching up to frame his face with her small hands, "as much as I treasure you."

"Hime," Ichigo murmured, wrapping his arms around her waist and pulling her close. His warm brown eyes shone with his love for her, and he slowly dipped his head, catching her lips again in a long, sweet kiss.

Orihime pressed herself against him as she curled her arms around his neck, suddenly extremely grateful that he'd kept them from making their dinner reservations. If he had proposed to her at the restaurant, as she was sure he had planned, she wasn't sure how they ever would have made it all the way home. _Flash-step, maybe, but then what would we have done with his body?_

Her thoughts derailed as one of his hands slid down, curving slowly over her backside before hooking beneath her thigh and pulling her leg over him. Their slow and tender kiss had become deep and sensual, and her hands, she realized, were roaming over his sculpted back, shoulders, and arms greedily.

The next thing she knew, her back was pressed against the mattress, and Ichigo was buried to the hilt inside of her as his tongue ravaged her mouth. Orihime cried out in delicious surprise at his sudden invasion, arching beneath him and curving her hands around his back once more. He pumped into her rapidly as they got lost in each other, his lips tearing from hers to trail down her throat and over her collar before latching onto one of her large breasts.

Orihime could already feel herself getting close to the edge as Ichigo thrust into her again and again, grazing his teeth over her sensitized nipple before soothing it with his skilled tongue. As she lifted her hips, eagerly welcoming his quickening pace, he switched his attention to the other breast, taking as much of it into his mouth as he could and sucking hard. She cried out again, moaning his name loudly as she thrashed against the pillow.

When he was finished with her bosom, he trailed hot kisses back up her chest until his lips were beside her ear, and, still pumping rapidly into her, he growled out, "Don't hold back, Hime; let me hear you."

Burying one hand roughly in his spiky orange hair, Orihime gasped, "I don't think…you have to…worry – oh!" The added exclamation was caused by the sudden sensation of him nipping at the sensitive spot just beneath her ear, even as his hands dragged down the sides of her body before clamping over her hips.

He thrust into her, harder and faster than before, each time filling her completely, and she writhed beneath his hot touch. They were both breathing raggedly, and with one final, heavy thrust, Orihime screamed out his name as she went careening over the edge at an incredible speed. Ichigo came right after her, shouting as his own release crashed over him, and he collapsed against her, his body drained.

Neither moved, or spoke, for several long minutes as they waited for their bodies to return to normal. Then Ichigo carefully withdrew from her and rolled until she was on top of him, nestled between his legs with her head tucked beneath his chin.

"Love you, Ichi," Orihime mumbled drowsily as her physical exhaustion caught up with her.

Using his feet, Ichigo skillfully pulled the comforter up enough for him to grab it with one hand and, as he adjusted it properly, he murmured, "Love you, too, Hime."

* * *

**"See,"** Ichigo declared with a teasing smirk as he set down a plate of waffles in front of his fiancé the following morning, "I told you I'd make it up to you."

Orihime laughed and dipped her finger in the whip-cream, bringing it deliberately up to her lips and running her tongue along it before sucking it all the way in and dragging it out, releasing it with an audible _pop_. "Mhmm," she agreed, "you certainly did."

Ichigo's eyes darkened as he watched her teasing and he said, "If you want to _**eat**_ this breakfast, I suggest you not do that again."

Smiling innocently, Orihime asked, "Whatever do you mean, Ichigo?"

Grunting something incoherent, Ichigo rolled his eyes and turned to take his own waffle off the griddle, saying, "You know damn well what I mean."

She giggled and picked up her fork, looking hungrily at the waffles, which were covered in thick strawberry syrup (because he knew it was her favorite) and whip-cream, and said, "Okay, I promise to behave at least until we're done eating."

Chuckling faintly, Ichigo took his seat opposite her and replied, "I thought you'd feel that way."

They exchanged a brief smile before proceeding to dig into their late breakfast. After several bites, Orihime paused and looked up, saying, "Thank you for breakfast, Ichigo. This was a much better way to celebrate our anniversary than just going out to dinner."

He lifted his brown eyes from his plate before smiling at her. "Yeah, definitely."

Together they finished their breakfast in silence as Orihime rubbed the band of the ring on her left hand with her free thumb. _Orihime Kurosaki,_ she mused silently. _I can't wait._

_**The End**_

_**A/N:**_ Well there you have it! I feel like this is my ultimate smutty/fluffy IchiHime love fest…but maybe it's just me? Either way, please let me know what you thought of it!


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